Abstract

Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) is the most abundant cephalopod in the fishing industry, and its high nutritional and organoleptic properties make it a go-to food product for consumers. Therefore, developing new processing techniques seems imperative to minimize quality deterioration and provide products with appropriate characteristics. The study aimed to determine the effect of high-pressure impregnation (HPI) pretreatment on hot air-drying kinetics and the quality of Humboldt squid slices. Various pressures, times, and concentrations of osmotic solution during HPI were evaluated, followed by drying at 40 and 60 °C. The HPI pretreatment reduced the drying time by around 26% when dried at 40 °C, and only 18% when dried at? 60 °C compared with unpretreated samples. The Weibull, Page, and Logarithmic models were considered for experimental drying curve modeling. Diffusion coefficient values varied from 3.82 to 6.59 × 10?9 m2/s for all drying conditions. Moreover, the color, texture, and water-holding capacity were determined. Rehydration capacity values increased due to less damage to cellular tissue than the control (HPI-untreated dried samples). Also, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed a compacted structure of HPI-dried squid samples. Overall, HPI proved to be a beneficial pretreatment as it reduced drying time and improved the quality characteristics of Humboldt squid. © The Author(s) 2025.